India’s first World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, has backed Jasprit Bumrah despite growing concerns over the pacer’s fitness, saying the fast bowler has consistently delivered when it mattered most. His remarks came after Bumrah endured a disappointing outing against England on Day 3 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday, July 26.

In recent times, Bumrah has found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Fans have grown increasingly frustrated with his recurring injury issues, particularly in high-stakes Test matches. His struggle to find pace and rhythm during the third day’s play at Old Trafford only intensified doubts around his durability in the format.

Speaking at the PGTI Schedule announcement, Kapil Dev pointed out that Bumrah’s action puts extra strain on his body and makes a long Test career more challenging.

“I think everybody is different. Times have changed, bodies are different. They are working differently. It is difficult to judge. Yes, he is one of the fast bowlers we have, but his action is so awkward, and it is difficult to sustain,” Kapil said, as quoted by PTI.

“We didn’t think he would be able to play this far because he puts too much stress on the body. But still, he is delivering to the Indian team. So hats off to him,” he added.

GIVE SHUBMAN GILL TIME: KAPIL DEV

Kapil also spoke in defence of Shubman Gill, who is currently leading India in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Gill’s captaincy has come under scrutiny after India’s poor showing in Manchester, but Kapil urged patience, reminding everyone that this is Gill’s first assignment as Test captain.

“Give him time. This is his first series; he will commit mistakes and there will be many positives over the period of time, he will learn. There is no problem if he is learning. There will be mistakes, but he is learning from his mistakes—that is very important,” he said.

“This is a young team, they are getting the opportunity to play and in the coming days these players will win. It is just a new team. Any new team in the world takes time to adjust. Gill is a new captain, and he will learn a lot and I think this series will be a learning step,” Kapil concluded.

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